Motion-picture exhibiting



Oct. 25; 1927.

' 1,546,855 L. DEL mccx o xenon PICTURE EXHIBITING Filed Jan. 4. 1927 s Sheets-Sheei'. 1

Mam/y;

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Oct. 2-5. 1927. 1,646,855

L. DEL RICCIO MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITING Filed Jan. 4; 1927 3 Sheetl-Sheet 2 v M M3 Af/j S v 1,646,855 1927' L. DEL RICCIO IOTION PICTURE sxnnsnma Filed Jan. 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig Patented Oct. 25 1927. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ronnnzo on macro, or new Yoax, 1r. Y.

MOTION-PICTURE nxnmrrme.

Application filed January 4, 1927. Serial No. 158,873.

on the screen whereby certain novel effects are I produced.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed and at present preferred by me I employ a screen of larger than usual size, which I equip with a system of masks by means of which only a: portion of the screen is exposed, when the masks are in their limiting position of occluding the screen. I then provide a-projection apparatus which will throw an image fitting the unmasked portion of the screen and also a second projection apparatus designed to throw an image fitting the full size of the screen. By means of furthcrapparatus for simultaneously cutting in one machine and cutting out the other. I'am thus enabled to use, for example, first the smaller image machine with the partially masked screen and -then thelarge screen area with the larger image machine. When such a changeis desired, depending. upon the nature of the film being exhibited, I may first fill in the smaller screen area withv a. portion of the larger image (using the larger image projection machine) and then by gradually unmaskin the unexposed screen area produce a nove and striking effect both while the masks are being withdrawn and when the larger image is fully exposed. In the case mentioned the masks used will preferably have their outer surfaces of dark, substantially non-reflecting material, whereby the portion of the larger image temporarily thrown thereupon will not be visible to the audience.

In the embodiment described below I have shown means for producing two. sizes of .images only, but it is obvious-that three ormore sizes of images may be employed if de-. sired. Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 isa perspective view 1llustrat ing the screen an the mask on a stage and showing two machines for pro ecting pictures upon the screen.

Figure 2 is a front view of the device showing-the masks set to expose a small area pon a stage 5 there is located a white screen 6 upon which pictures may be thrown by a PIOJGCUOII machine 7 to a comparatively small area 8, Figure 1. A black mask 12 is provided to cover the unused portion of the screen.

While 'pro'ecting motion pictures it is,

desirable to c ange the area 8 to increase it to a larger area 11 so that a larger picturemay be projected from another projection machine 12.

Provision is herein made area of the screen according to the size of the picture to be projected upon it. To this end the mask 10 may include four border sectlons, namely a bottom section .13, which may be stationary and supported on the floor 14 of the stage 5 in an convenient manner, two side sections 15 and 16, and a top section 17 the side sections 15, 16 and the top section 17 being movable to vary the area of the exposed portion of the screen.

To facilitate the moving of the sections 15 and 16 they may be in the form of curtains each supported from rollers 18 which run on a fixed rail 20 suitably supported. From the rollers extend hangers 21 to which the curtains are secured; a fixed hanger 22 being provided to support the outer end of the curtain. The inner ends of the side curtains are movable towards and away from each other by means hereinafter described to vary the width of the exposed area of the screen.

The top section 17 of the mask maybe in to change the the form of a horizontally disposed curtain which may be suspended from a. pole or horizontal bar 23 which is carried by ropes 24 by means of which the curtain 17 may be raised or lowered as hereinafter described to vary the height of exposed area of the 'lel reaches 31 and 32 which move in opposite directions. Fromthe rollers 28 and 29 the belt extends downwardly in two reaches 33 and 34 around a guide roller 34 which may be secured to the stage floor 14 in any convenient manner. By pulling down on the reach 34 of the rope 25 (Fi re 2) .the reaches 31 and 32, at the top of t e curtains, move in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows. The two end hangers 21 whic support the inner ends of .the side curtains are secured to the reaches 31 and 32 and consequently when the said reaches are operated by a downward'pull on the reach 34 the cur-j tains are moved away from each other, thus increasing the width ofthe screen as desired.

.The ropes or chains 24 which support the mask section-17 are conducted over pulleys 35 and are connectedto each other at 36, one of said ropes may extend over a guide roller 37 and has connected thereto a counter 5 weight 38 to facilitate raising and lowering the mask section 17.

f tion 17 may; be raised or lowered at will.

It is desirable to move the side section 15, 16, and the top section 17 of the mask simultaneously. To this end the belt 25 may be conducted over guide rollers 40 and 41 to form a reach 42, so that it may be connected to the belt 38 as at 43, so that when the belt 25 is actuated to operate the side sections liiegnd 16, the top section 17 is also opera It will be understood that the top section '17 travels a greater distance in the same period of time, than eitherof the side masks 15 and 16. Accordingly the actuating pulleys 35 for the section 17 are of eater diameter'than the driving pulleys 3 To indicate when the mask sections have beenmovedto the desired positions an indicator 44 may be provided on the belt 25 which may be brought into register with anyone oi a series of graduation marks 45 on a scale 46. In Fi re 1 I have indicated diagrammatically t arran ement of projection Inachines and also t e shutter mechanism. As shown in said figure, andas has already been mentioned, projection machine 7 is equipped .-to throw an image of the picture to fit the small area 8, while thesecond projection machine 12 is adjusted to throw a clear image of the same sized film upon the large area 11 of the screen. For the purpose of rapidly shifting from the small image on the screen to the large image, a shutter 50 is provided having apertures 51 and 52 such that vertical movement of the shutter of the proper amount will shut-off the light from one machine, and allow it to ass to the screen in the case of the other. refrably movement of the shutter 50 is effected by electrical means which may be operated at a point remote from the projection apparatus. Manual means for operating shutter 50, are shown in the handle 53 of. rod 54 attached to said shutter.

In the operation of mydevice, when it is desirable to shift from the small image to the large or vice versa, the second pro ection apparatus to be called into play will have previously been lighted up and. 1l11ipped with the film which is to be shown.

en the change is to be made from the smaller to the larger image, it is usually preferable first to pro ect the larger image within the smaller area 8 preparatory to shifting the masks, although this procedure may be varied as desired. In such a case the shutter 50 will be actuated to cut in the machine 12 and cut out the machine 7. In this case, it will usually be desirable to have the mask withdrawn slowly and the larger image thus to fill in the screen area as expiosed. I preferably accomplish this by ma ing the mask material of dark non-reflecting material whereby the image cast thereon by the projection apparatus 12 will not be apparent to the observer, as has been stated.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for exhibiting motion pictures, a' screen, a mask for said screen such as to leave aportion of the screen exposed, means for projecting a plurality of difierent sized film images on the screen, and means to cut out an image of a size fitting said exposed portion of the screen, and to cut in an image of a larger size and means for withdrawing said mask so as to expose a screen area fitting said larger image.

2. In an apparatus for exhibiting motion pictures, a screen, a mask for said screen such as to leave a portion of the screen exposed, a projection machine focusing an image fitting said exposed portion of the screen, a second projection machine focusing an image fitting the screen area with the mask a removed, means for cutting in one machine and cutting out the other and means for withdrawing said mask so as to expose a screen area fitting said larger image.

3. In an apparatus for exhibiting motion I pictures the combination of a (projection screen, a mask for stud screen, sai

mask including four sectionsnamely a stationarybottom section, a top section and two side sections, said sections having an initial position in which they define -an initial pro ection area of the screen and means to simultaneously move the side sections away from each other and the top section away fromthe bottom section to increase the ex osed area of the screen so that a larger picture may be projected upon said screen.

4. In an apparatus for exhibiting motion pictures the combination of a projection screen, a mask for said screen, said mask including three sections namely a top section,.

and two side sections, said sections having an 1n1t1al-pos1t1on 1n WlllCh they define an initial pro ection area .of the screen, said sections being movable to vary the exposed area of the screen so that pictures of various sizes-may be pro ected on said screen, means to operate ,the S! e sections, means to operate the top 20 masked, them'ethodwhichconsists first; in

exhibiting the .pictures'usinga smaller image" section, and means cornieetin means for the top $8 tl0n,W1

%the operating t the operatin means of the side sectionsfso that all of sai sections may. be moved simultaneously to je'cted area on the screen.

varythe -exposed area of the screen. 5.- The combination of a projection screen,

" a mask'therefo'r, said" mask including a 111- will substantially fill the means to indicate the ralityfof sections 'to form-the border 0 an exposed portion of the fsjcreemineans to op erate said sections simultaneously to. vary the area of the exposed portion ofthe screen, and -means, connected with said 0 rating position to w 'ch 'the screens are moved. I

6. In a system of e'xhibitin' film images.of-diflerentH-sizesu on a screen nextlarger image and in which the region of the screen included in the overlap is,"

size "while maskiglgl' 'the'unused portion of the screen, then e ibitin'g the larger images and withdrawin' themasks' Whereby when said masks are ithdrawn said larger images portion of the screen;

17. In combination, two screen areas of dif-, ferent sizes, the smaller of said screen areas being contained within the largeri means to project an image fitting .the' smal er ofv said screen areas, means for projecting an'image cutting out-the other 0 fitting the larger of said screen areas and means for simultaneouslfv cutting'in one and said images; 8; In themethod of exhibiting motion pic- I tures, thesteps which'consistvm projecting motion picture images to a given scaleof motion pictures in which means are used or pro eetingf images of 'such Y then unmasked projection upon a screen andsiinultaneously cutting out -saidprojected imagesand out:

tin in motionfpicture'images to a' greater sca e'of project on and increasing the pro. j

9." The method f exhibiting-'jmotion pics tures' whichfconsists projecting upon a screen, images of. the film" being exhibited,

in images of greater: size, masking, down sa 'si'ze ofsaid first images and unmasking said larger imagesto substantially their full size.

10. Themethod of exhibiting motion pictur'es which consists .in projecting upon a screen," images of the film' being exhibited, said images being ofa given size,jsi'mu1ta'n.e* ously cutting out -said'images andcutting in conelof lig t from the projectiondevice with a; mask so'as to reduce the'size' of the projected picture; to approximately that oithe screen sizeof firstamages-"and' withdrawing "ask until substantially th'e",full sineo'f-the larger images is reached '11 .-In comb1nation,'two screen :areas' ofn. d ifier'ent sizes, the smaller of said". screen eatersize while intercepting the v areas 3 being contained within the larger, masking means for changing from one screen 1 1area-to the other screen area, means to projeetL-animage fitting the; smallergof said screen area's means for projecting anfimage.

fitting. the iargei of 8816.301881] areas and means for simultaneously cutting in one'and 1 cutting out the other-of said images. f In ,testimony whereof I have afiixed' my s' a-ture to this specification;

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